How Aegis works
A documented route from first assessment to first harvest
Greenhouse projects fail on coordination, not on equipment. Each stage below produces documents you can take to a board or a bank, so no decision rests on an assumption nobody wrote down.
- 01
Project Discovery
Indicative duration: 2-3 weeks
We collect site, climate, water, energy and market data, then define what the project must achieve commercially before any technology is discussed.
Decision this stage settles
Is the site and objective combination physically and commercially plausible?
What we need from you
Site location and boundaries, target crop, water and grid information, commercial objective.
Deliverables
- Requirement brief
- Site and climate assessment
- Data gap list
- 02
Feasibility & Production Model
Indicative duration: 4–8 weeks
Yield, revenue, energy, labour and capex are modelled together and stress-tested against realistic ramp-up and price scenarios.
Decision this stage settles
Does the project clear its return threshold under a conservative price and ramp-up case?
What we need from you
Target market and pricing evidence, financing structure, labour cost assumptions.
Deliverables
- Production model
- Capex and opex envelope
- Payback scenarios
- 03
Technology Selection
Indicative duration: 3–6 weeks
Structure, glazing, climate systems, irrigation and automation level are selected against crop requirements and local conditions, then documented.
Decision this stage settles
Is every system specified with a performance criterion a supplier can be held to?
What we need from you
Approved production model, operating capability of the intended grower team.
Deliverables
- Technology recommendation
- System sizing
- Specification package
- 04
Supplier Sourcing
Indicative duration: 6-10 weeks
The specification is tendered to a qualified shortlist. Offers are levelled to identical scope so decisions are made on real differences.
Decision this stage settles
Are the remaining differences between bids technical and commercial rather than scope gaps?
What we need from you
Procurement constraints, preferred contract form, budget approval to award.
Deliverables
- Supplier shortlist
- Levelled bid comparison
- Contract recommendations
- 05
Project Execution
Indicative duration: 8-18 months
Aegis coordinates manufacturing, logistics, civil works and installation against one master schedule with milestone verification.
Decision this stage settles
Does installed work match the specification before the next payment milestone is released?
What we need from you
Signed contracts, site access, permits, nominated client representative.
Deliverables
- Master schedule
- Inspection reports
- Change control log
- 06
Commissioning & Start-Up
Indicative duration: 4-10 weeks
Systems are tested against performance criteria, operators are trained and the first crop cycle is planned with your agronomy team.
Decision this stage settles
Do the climate, irrigation and screen systems hold their set points under load?
What we need from you
Grower and technical staff availability, first-cycle planting decision.
Deliverables
- Commissioning protocol
- Training programme
- First-cycle crop plan
Evidence base
Where the numbers in our models come from
A recommendation is only as good as the data under it. These are the four inputs behind every specification and feasibility model we issue, and we state which of them is missing when it is.
Measured site climate data
Hourly radiation, temperature, humidity and wind records for the specific site, not a regional average from a reference project in another country.
Crop physiology set points
Light sum, temperature and humidity requirements per crop and growth stage, taken from published horticultural research and grower records.
Levelled supplier pricing
Historic bid data from tenders we ran, normalised to identical scope so benchmark ranges reflect comparable inclusions.
Operating data from delivered facilities
Energy, labour and yield outcomes fed back from commissioned projects, which is what keeps our models calibrated to reality.
The same evidence base underpins our published cost and technology guidance. Browse the resource library or read who writes it and to which standards.
Engagement models
Enter the process wherever your project currently stands
Some clients arrive with an idea and a site. Others arrive with three supplier quotes they cannot compare. Both are valid starting points.
Commercial Greenhouse Projects
Structured project development for production facilities from 5,000 m²to 50 hectares, engineered around your climate, crop and market.
Learn moreTurnkey Greenhouse Solutions
One accountable partner from feasibility to first harvest, with every discipline and supplier coordinated under a single project plan.
Learn moreGreenhouse Consulting
Independent engineering and investment advisory for teams that need clarity before committing capital.
Learn moreFAQ
How engagements work in practice
Do we have to follow all six stages?
No. Clients regularly engage Aegis for a single stage, most often feasibility or supplier sourcing. The stages are sequential because each one produces the input the next one needs, but they can be contracted separately.
Who owns the documents Aegis produces?
You do. Specifications, models, bid comparisons and schedules are your property and remain usable if you continue with a different partner or contractor.
How is Aegis compensated?
Consulting stages are fee-based, and project development and turnkey coordination are contracted as a fixed fee or a percentage of project value. We take no supplier commissions, which keeps recommendations independent.
How long does the full process take?
From discovery to first harvest, most single-phase projects run 18 to 30 months, of which 8 to 18 months is construction and installation. The pre-construction stages take three to six months and are the cheapest place to spend time, because they are where the expensive decisions are made.
What happens if a stage gate is not cleared?
The project stops there and we say so in writing. A feasibility model that does not clear its return threshold under a conservative price case is a valid outcome, and it costs a fraction of discovering the same thing after steel is ordered.
When should we involve Aegis?
As early as possible, ideally before land is committed or supplier negotiations begin. The decisions with the largest financial impact - site, crop, structure and climate strategy - are all made in the first stages.
Start Your Greenhouse Project With Aegis
Send us your location, available area and target crop. You will receive a structured first assessment with technology direction and an indicative investment range.